Bill Text: CA SCR136 | 2023-2024 | Regular Session | Introduced

California Senate Concurrent Resolution 136

Introduced

Bill Title: Equity impact analysis of legislation.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced) 2024-04-15 - Introduced. Referred to Com. on RLS. [SCR136 Detail]

Download: California-2023-SCR136-Introduced.html

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2023–2024 REGULAR SESSION

Senate Concurrent Resolution

No. 136

Introduced by Senator Durazo

April 15, 2024

Relative to equity.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

SCR 136, as introduced, Durazo. Equity impact analysis of legislation.

This measure would require the Senate to direct its policy committees to incorporate more effective equity considerations in their analyses of future energy and climate legislation and would resolve the Senate into exploring methods to integrate equity more formally into its daily activities.

Fiscal Committee: NO

WHEREAS, Lower income Californians are disproportionately impacted by climate change in a variety of ways, including by having increased vulnerability to extreme heat events, wildfire smoke, and the high cost of climate adaptation measures such as purchasing and operating air conditioners; and

WHEREAS, Research reviewed by the Legislative Analyst shows that lower income households spend a greater portion of their incomes on electricity costs and transportation costs compared to moderate and higher income households; and

WHEREAS, Lower income Californians also are more likely to live near highways and are more vulnerable to the health impacts of air pollution, as documented in research completed by the University of California Institute for Transportation Studies; and

WHEREAS, Certain climate policies, such as regulation on the carbon intensity of fuels, the state’s cap and trade program, and various statewide clean energy efforts, contribute to consumer costs that disproportionately affect lower income people; and

WHEREAS, the state has undertaken a number of efforts to address these issues and make climate-friendly technologies such as zero-emission vehicles and more efficient energy systems more affordable to lower income people through various regulatory and incentive programs with limited results; and

WHEREAS, The Assembly of the State of California introduced House Resolution 39 of the 2021–22 Regular Session, finding that in order to continue the Assembly’s commitment to investing in equity solutions and maximizing benefits for underserved and marginalized communities, the Assembly would explore methods to integrate equity more formally into its daily activities, including the potential adoption of equity impact analysis into the existing committee and floor bill analysis process; and

WHEREAS, House Resolution 39 stated that Connecticut, Florida, Iowa, New Jersey, and Oregon have implemented measures to implement racial impact statements as a tool to assess the potential disparities and impact of a policy before it is passed; and

WHEREAS, On September 13, 2022, Governor Gavin Newsom issued Executive Order N-16-22, which stated that “continued work remains to attain our shared goals of providing equal opportunity for all and addressing persistent disparities in outcomes”; and

WHEREAS, Executive Order N-16-22 requires all agencies and departments subject to the Governor’s authority, for any strategic plans applicable during the 2023–24, 2024–25, and 2025–26 fiscal years, to “develop or update the strategic plan to reflect the use of data analysis and inclusive practices to more effectively advance equity and to respond to identified disparities with changes to the organization’s mission, vision, goals, data tools, policies, programs, operations, community engagement, tribal consultation policies and practices, and other actions as necessary to serve all Californians”; and

WHEREAS, Nearly a third of Californians are living in or near poverty; and

WHEREAS, In the first quarter of 2023, more than a million California workers, 25 to 64 years of age, were living in poverty, according to the California Poverty Measure (CPM), and an additional 2.3 million working Californians were “near poor” in early 2023, with family resources between one and one and one-half times the poverty line; and

WHEREAS, California has the highest poverty rate of all fifty states. In 2023, approximately five million Californians were under the CPM poverty line. Child poverty jumped from 9.0 percent in fall 2021 to 13.8 percent in early 2023. Three million more Californians and more than one million children would have been in poverty if not for social safety net programs; now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the Senate of the State of California, the Assembly thereof concurring, That the Senate direct its policy committees to incorporate more effective equity considerations, including how policy proposals may impact lower income and disadvantaged communities, in their analyses of future energy and climate legislation; and be it further

Resolved, That in order to continue the Senate’s commitment to investing in equity solutions and maximizing benefits for underserved and marginalized communities, the Senate will explore methods to integrate equity more formally into its daily activities, including the potential adoption of equity impact analysis into the existing committee and floor bill analysis process; and be it further

Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate transmit copies of this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.